Hibiscus plant named ‘Charleston’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct Hibiscus plant named ‘Charleston’, characterized by its compact, upright and uniform plant habit that is appropriate for container production; freely branching habit; glossy dark green leaves; freely flowering habit; red-colored flowers; and good resistance to flower bud abscission.

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Hibiscus rosa-sinensiscultivar ‘Charleston’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofHibiscus, botanically known as Hibiscus rosa - sinensis, and hereinafterreferred to by the name ‘Charleston’.

The new Hibiscus is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Amstelveen, The Netherlands. The objective of thebreeding program is to create new compact freely-branching andfreely-flowering Hibiscus cultivars appropriate for containerproduction.

The new Hibiscus originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in Amstelveen, The Netherlands, of a proprietary Hibiscusrosa-sinensis selection, identified as code No. 10.327, not patented, asthe female, or seed, parent with a proprietary Hibiscus rosa-sinensisselection, designated as code No. 5.923, not patented, as the male, orpollen, parent. The cultivar Charleston was discovered and selected bythe Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the statedcross-pollination in a controlled environment in Amstelveen, TheNetherlands, in 2000.

Asexual reproduction of the new Hibiscus by vegetative terminal cuttingstaken in a controlled environment in Amstelveen, The Netherlands, hasshown that the unique features of this new Hibiscus are stable andreproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Charleston has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature andlight intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Charleston’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Charleston’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Compact, upright and uniform plant habit that is appropriate forcontainer production.

2. Freely branching habit.

3. Glossy dark green leaves.

4. Freely flowering habit.

5. Red-colored flowers.

6. Good resistance to flower bud abscission.

Compared to plants of the parents, the proprietary Hibiscus selectionscode No. 10.327 and 5.923, plants of the new Hibiscus are more upright,more freely branching, and more freely flowering.

Plants of the new Hibiscus can be compared to plants of the Hibiscuscultivar ‘Paramaribo’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisonsconducted in Amstelveen, The Netherlands, plants of the new Hibiscusdiffered from plants of the cultivar Paramaribo in the followingcharacteristics:

1. Plants of the new Hibiscus were more vigorous, shorter, and broaderthan plants of the cultivar Paramaribo.

2. Plants of the new Hibiscus were more freely flowering than plants ofthe cultivar Paramaribo.

3. Plants of the new Hibiscus had larger flowers than plants of thecultivar Paramaribo.

4. Flower color of plants of the new Hibiscus was more intense red thanflower color of plants of the cultivar Paramaribo.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Hibiscus, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Hibiscus. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Charleston’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown in Amstelveen, The Netherlands, grownin 15-cm container in a glass-covered greenhouse during the spring andsummer under conditions which closely approximate commercial production.During the production of the plants, day and night temperatures rangedfrom 15 to 25° C. and light levels were about 500 klux. Plants wereabout two years old when the photograph and the description were taken.In the description, color references are made to The Royal HorticulturalSociety Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botancial classification: Hibiscus rosa-sinensis cultivar Charleston.

Parentage:

Female or seed parent.—Proprietary selection of Hibiscus rosa-sinensisdesignated as code No. 10.327, not patented.

Male or pollen parent.—Proprietary selection of Hibiscus rosa-sinensisdesignated as code No. 5.923, not patented.

Propagation:

Type.—By vegetative terminal cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—About 25 days at a temperature of 23° C.

Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About 40 days at a temperature of22° C.

Root description.—Thick; whitish in color.

Rooting habit.—Moderately vigorous; freely branching.

Plant description:

Plant form and growth habit.—Compact, upright and uniform plant habit;appropriate for container production. Vigorous growth habit.

Branching habit.—Freely branching, usually about three or four lateralbranches.

Plant height.—About 25 cm.

Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 40 to 45 cm.

Lateral branch description.—Length: About 10 cm. Diameter: About 8 mm.Internode length: About 2 to 2.5 cm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color:Close to 200C.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length: About 8 cm.Width: About 5.5 cm. Shape: Roughly cordate. Apex: Acuminate. Base:Cordate. Margin: Irregularly serrate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:Glabrous; leathery. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color: Young leaves,upper and lower surfaces: 146A; glossy. Fully expanded leaves, uppersurface: Darker than 147A; glossy. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface:147A. Venation, upper and lower surfaces: 146A. Petiole: Length: About 3cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,glabrous. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Darker than 147A.

Flower description:

Flower arrangement/appearance.—Rounded flowers arranged singly atterminal leaf axils. Freely flowering with usually about five to sixflower buds and/or open flowers per terminal apex. Flowers face mostlyupright. Flowers are open for about one day. Flowers persistent. Flowersnot fragrant.

Natural flowering season.—Usually spring and summer or during periods ofwarm weather.

Flower diameter.—About 8 cm.

Flower length (height).—About 4 cm.

Flower bud (just before showing color).—Resistance to abscission: Plantsof the new Hibiscus have been observed to resist flower bud drop.Length: About 4 to 5 cm. Diameter: About 1 to 1.5 cm. Shape: Oblong,elliptical. Color: 147A.

Petals.—Arrangement: Corolla consists of five petals that areoverlapping towards apex. Length: About 6 to 7 cm. Width: About 5 to 6cm. Shape: Spatulate or fan-shaped. Apex: Rounded. Base: Attenuate.Margin: Weakly serrated. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,glabrous, satiny. Color: When opening and fully opened, upper surface:43A. When opening and fully opened, lower surface: 46C. Throat: 53A.

Sepals.—Appearance: Five or six sepals fused into a tubular star-shapedcalyx. Length: About 2 cm. Width: About 1 cm. Shape: Narrowly oblong.Apex: Acute. Base: Fused. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lowersurfaces: Smooth. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 146A.

Peduncles.—Length: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Angle: Mostlyupright. Strength: Strong, rigid. Texture: Smooth. Color: Darker than146A.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen number: Numerous, about 60 perflower. Anther shape: Globular. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther color:12A. Amount of pollen: Abundant. Pollen color: Close to 15A. Gynoecium:Pistil number: One per flower. Pistil length: About 6 to 7 cm. Stylelength: About 4 to 5 cm. Style texture: Smooth, waxy. Style color:Towards base, 53A; mid-section and towards apex, 33A. Stigma appearance:Five, rounded. Stigma color: Close to 44A. Ovary color: Close to 154C to154D.

Fruit/seed.—Fruit and seed production has not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Hibiscus have not beenobserved to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Hibiscus.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Hibiscus plant named ‘Charleston’,as illustrated and described.